Hyundai's Ranger Raptor rival: New Korean ute could get a go-fast N version

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N boss Albert Bierman is open to an N-badged ute.
Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
11 Sep 2019
2 min read

Hyundai's incoming workhorse ute could get a go-fast N version, with the brand's performance boss Albert Biermann telling CarsGuide that "there are no limitations".

While Hyundai's head of R&D - and architect of the N sub-brand - said there were no concrete plans in place, and the brand's new dual-cab isn't expected to arrive before 2022, Mr Biermann also wouldn't rule out adding a ute to his growing performance portfolio.

That portfolio, currently home to just the i30 N, i30 N Fastback and Veloster N, will soon include a vehicle smaller than the current hatchback (thought to be an i20 N), as well as a new SUV (thought to be a Tucson N).

Read More: Hyundai Tucson N-Line previews Tucson N

But Mr Biermann is not ruling out adding a dual-cab ute (and that's proper ute, not the Santa Cruz concept pictured) to the family, telling CarsGuide that "everything is possible".

Kia revealed last month that both it and Hyundai would launch a jointly developed dual-cab ute in Australia as early as 2022, with executives confirming that “work has begun” on Korea's first true Toyota HiLux rival.

"You have to be ready for everything from Hyundai and Kia, so everything is possible," Biermann says. "So there are no limitations."

"There's no clear plan for that, but I mean you can expect everything when the time is right and the marketplace. And, yeah, we are moving."

Read More: Kia and Hyundai's new ute: Five reasons you should be excited about Korea's Toyota HiLux rival
Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
Andrew Chesterton should probably hate cars. From his hail-damaged Camira that looked like it had spent a hard life parked at the end of Tiger Woods' personal driving range, to the Nissan Pulsar Reebok that shook like it was possessed by a particularly mean-spirited demon every time he dared push past 40km/h, his personal car history isn't exactly littered with gold. But that seemingly endless procession of rust-savaged hate machines taught him something even more important; that cars are more than a collection of nuts, bolts and petrol. They're your ticket to freedom, a way to unlock incredible experiences, rolling invitations to incredible adventures. They have soul. And so, somehow, the car bug still bit. And it bit hard. When "Chesto" started his journalism career with News Ltd's Sunday and Daily Telegraph newspapers, he covered just about everything, from business to real estate, courts to crime, before settling into state political reporting at NSW Parliament House. But the automotive world's siren song soon sounded again, and he begged anyone who would listen for the opportunity to write about cars. Eventually they listened, and his career since has seen him filing car news, reviews and features for TopGear, Wheels, Motor and, of course, CarsGuide, as well as many, many others. More than a decade later, and the car bug is yet to relinquish its toothy grip. And if you ask Chesto, he thinks it never will.
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